It is not the moderators job to challenge the nominees. They should do that themselves. The asks the questions and steps out of the way. The nyt wants the moderator to act as their attack dogs ala Candy Crowley. Uh, no.
Exactly. Merriam-Webster’s definition is: someone who leads a discussion in a group and tells each person when to speak; a non-partisan presiding officer. That’s it. A moderator is not supposed to take sides, or “fact check,” or challenge the participants, or insert themselves into the discussion in any way.